Chapter XIII: Book I: Hymns for Worship and Praise (7)

_MUSIC._ HENDON. This tune appeared first in America in _Carmina Sacra_, 1841, edited by Lowell Mason. The composer, Henri Abraham César Malan, 1787-1864, born in Geneva, Switzerland, was a man of many interests. He was a well educated minister, a blacksmith, carpenter, printer, and artist. He had a burning zeal for the conversion of souls. Convinced that the national church stood in need of reform, he aroused much opposition. After preaching an unorthodox sermon at the College of Geneva, he was dismissed from his regentship at the college and was finally driven from the state church. He then built a chapel in his own garden and preached there for 43 years, attracting overflowing crowds and becoming widely known throughout Belgium, France, England, and Scotland for his evangelism. He wrote more than 1,000 hymns and set tunes to them, a remarkable achievement. As the originator of the modern hymn movement in the French Reformed Church, Malan has a permanent place in French Hymnody.

216. My Jesus, I love Thee _William Rolf Featherstone_, 1842-78

The authorship of this hymn was unknown until recently when Robert McCutchan, author of _Our Hymnody_, discovered that it was written by William Rolf Featherstone, a Canadian by birth, when he was only sixteen years of age. The author sent the hymn to an aunt, Mrs. E. Featherstone Wilson, living in Los Angeles, who suggested to her nephew that it be published. No further information concerning Featherstone is at hand.

_MUSIC._ GORDON. The tune was written for this hymn which the composer, Dr. Gordon, found in the _London Hymn Book_, 1864. This combination of hymn and tune became popular and is widely known in America.

Adoniram Judson Gordon, 1836-1895, was born at New Hampton, New Hampshire, educated at Brown University and Newton Theological Seminary, and became the distinguished pastor of the Clarendon Street Baptist Church, Boston. He at one time was editor of _The Watchword_, and is author of a series of books called _Quiet Talks_.

217. Have Thine own way, Lord _Adelaide Pollard_, 1862-1934

A hymn of the believer’s humble resignation to God, as the clay to the potter.

The author, Adelaide Addison Pollard, was a modest poet. She signed her writings for many years with only her initials, but in recent times her publishers have used her full name. Miss Pollard was born in Iowa, but died in New York City. She was buried in the family plot at Ft. Madison, Iowa. While a teacher of elocution and expression, she became interested in deeper spiritual things through the ministry of R. A. Torrey and James M. Gray, and enrolled for further Bible training at the Moody Bible Institute, Chicago. She became a teacher in the Missionary Alliance Bible School at Nyack, N. Y., and also did missionary work in South Africa. Miss Pollard wrote numerous hymns and devotional poems. Her two best-known hymns are: “Have Thine own way, Lord,” and “Shepherd of Israel.” Her mother was Rebecca Pollard who wrote the song poem, “I surrender all,” for which D. B. Towner wrote the music.

_MUSIC._ ADELAIDE. The name of the tune is obviously derived from the name of the author of the words for which it was composed. For comments on the composer, Geo. C. Stebbins, see Hymn 38.

218. Fountain of good, to own thy love _Philip Doddridge_, 1702-51

An appealing hymn on fellowship and service as well as consecration.

The author entitled the hymn, “On Relieving Christ in the Poor.” The original first line began “Jesus, my Lord, how rich thy grace.” The hymn was rewritten by Edward Osler, 1798-1863, for Hall’s _Mitre Hymn Book_, 1836, in which form it is found in modern hymnals, including the _Hymnary_.

For comments on Philip Doddridge see Hymn 56.

_MUSIC._ DALEHURST was composed by Arthur Cottman, 1842-79, an Englishman trained for the law but interested keenly in sacred music. It was first published in Cottman’s _Ten Original Tunes_, 1874, and has since been introduced into the hymnals and set to various texts. It is a tune of simple pattern, contemplative in mood, and should be sung in an even, moderate tempo.

219. Master, speak! thy servant heareth _Frances R. Havergal_, 1836-79

Based on the conversation between Samuel and Eli, I Sam. 3:1-10.

Miss Havergal’s favorite name for Christ was “Master,” because, she said, “it implies rule and submission, and this is what love craves. Men may feel differently, but a true woman’s submission is inseparable from deep love.”

For comments on Frances Havergal see Hymn 126.

_MUSIC._ AMEN, JESUS HAN SKAL RAADE (“Amen, Jesus, He shall reign”) comes from Denmark. The composer, Anton Peter Berggreen, 1801-80, was born in Copenhagen and lived there all his life. He studied music and became a composer of many works, the most popular being his _National Songs_ in eleven volumes. His collection of _Psalm Tunes_ are widely used in Danish churches. He was organist at Trinity Church, Copenhagen, and organized musical associations among laboring people which are still popular. For a number of years he was Professor of Singing at the Metropolitan School and inspector of the public schools in his native city.

220. Savior, thy dying love _Sylvanus D. Phelps_, 1816-95

Phelps gave this hymn to be published in _Pure Gold,_ a Sunday school songbook which Robert Lowry, composer of music, was then editing and of which more than a million copies were sold. The hymn was given the heading, “Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:6.)

Sylvanus Dryden Phelps, Baptist minister, was born in Suffolk, Conn.; received his education at Brown University; and in 1846 became pastor of the First Baptist Church, New Haven, Conn., where he remained for 28 years. He published three volumes of poetry. His son, William Lyon Phelps, was the distinguished Professor of English Literature at Yale and a lay preacher.

_MUSIC._ SOMETHING FOR JESUS was written for this hymn. At the time he composed this tune, Lowry was pastor of a Baptist Church in Lewisburg, Pa., and Professor of Literature in Bucknell University.

For further comments on Robert Lowry see Hymn 187.

SERVICE AND BROTHERHOOD

221. Work, for the night is coming _Anna Louisa Coghill_, 1836-1907

Based on John 9:4: “I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work.” The hymn was written when the author, eighteen years old, lived in Canada. It was published in a Canadian newspaper and later in her small volume of poems, _Leaves from the Backwoods_, Montreal, 1864.

Anna Louisa Walker was born in England but went in her teens with her parents to Sania, Canada, where her brothers were railway engineers. Returning to England, she became a governess for a time, then she reviewed books, making her home with her second cousin, a Mrs. Oliphant, for some years. In 1883 she married Harry Coghill, a wealthy merchant. She published six novels and a book of poems, _Oak and Maple_, and edited the _Autobiography and Letters_ of Mrs. Oliphant.

_MUSIC._ WORK SONG, known in England as “Diligence,” was written for this hymn. To fit the tune it became necessary to drop a syllable in the fourth line of each verse, an alteration which the author disliked extremely and which she never sanctioned.

For comments on Lowell Mason see Hymn 12.

222. Where cross the crowded ways of life _Frank Mason North_,
1850-1935

An unexcelled “Hymn for the City.” The following account of it is given in _The Churchman_, July, 1938, in an article by Eloise R. Griffith, on “Our Great Hymns”:

Frank Mason North, D.D., a well-known clergyman of the Methodist
Church, is the author of this well-loved hymn. It is sometimes called
“A Prayer for the City,” or “A Prayer for the Multitudes,” and has the
distinction of appearing in more standard hymnals today than any other
hymn written in this century. To those of us who are concerned about
“how the other half lives,” and who know either from our own
experiences or those of friends about the darker side of life in a
great city and particularly in our own country during the last nine
years,—this beautiful hymn never fails to find a heartfelt response.
It paints a picture with which many city dwellers are all too
familiar.

In 1903, Dr. North was editor of _The Christian City_, the organ of
the Methodist City Missionary Society. His office was in the Fifth
Avenue building of the Methodist Book Concern. One day one of the
professors of Wesleyan University (who was on the committee to prepare
and revise the new Methodist hymnal, and who knew North’s ability to
write hymns), met him in one of the halls. “Why don’t you write a
missionary hymn for us, Dr. North?” asked the professor. “We need more
missionary hymns in our new hymnal.” Dr. North modestly answered that
he did not feel he would be able to write a hymn worthy of the
proposed new hymnal, but that he would try.

Soon after this incident occurred, Dr. North was preaching a sermon
from the text in St. Matthew 22:9: “Go ye therefore into the
highways,” etc. During his preparation for this sermon, he was again
especially impressed by the rendering of the Greek text in the Revised
Version, which reads “Go ye therefore into the partings of the
highways.” Dr. North thought of and described in his sermon the
appealing challenge made by great crowds of people thronging the
crossroads of the city—places like Madison Square and Union Square in
the New York of 1903. Dr. North knew New York City very thoroughly,
and his heart yearned over the sick, the lonely, the destitute, the
troubled. So, while he preached, the first line of this great hymn
came to him—“Where cross the crowded ways of life.” It did not take
him long to compose the words which followed, and after the
publication of the hymn in _The Christian City_, it was at once
accepted for the new Methodist hymnal of 1905. The hymn is widely used
in Canada and throughout Great Britain, and has been translated into
several foreign languages, including some of the Far East ones.

_MUSIC._ GERMANY is a fine long-meter tune found in a book, _Sacred Melodies_, in which the compiler, William Gardiner, 1770-1853, an English stocking manufacturer interested in music, collected compositions by the best foreign composers, adapting them to English words. The tune is also known by the name “Walton,” especially in England. As to its origin, Gardiner says in his book, _Music and Friends_, that it “is somewhere in the works of Beethoven, but where I cannot now point out.” This may be a mistake, for no one else has ever found it in a Beethoven collection.

223. O Master, let me walk with Thee _Washington Gladden_, 1836-1918

A greatly loved service hymn which the author entitled, “Walking with God.” In a note dated June 15, 1907, Gladden says:

This hymn was written in 1879 for a magazine, _Sunday Afternoon_,
which I was then editing. There were three eight-line stanzas. Dr.
Charles H. Richards found the poem, which was not intended for a hymn,
and made a hymn of it by omitting the second stanza, which was not
suitable for devotional purposes.

The omitted stanza reads as follows:

O Master, let me walk with Thee
Before the taunting Pharisee;
Help me to bear the sting of spite,
The hate of men who hide thy light,
The sore distrust of souls sincere
Who cannot read thy judgments clear,
The dullness of the multitude
Who dimly guess that thou art good.

Washington Gladden, distinguished Congregational minister and author, was reared on a farm near Oswego, N. Y., attending country school and Oswego Academy and later entering Williams College, from which he graduated in 1859. He was licensed to preach in 1860; then held pastorates in Congregational churches in New York and Massachusetts, and finally in 1882 began his widely known and influential work as pastor of the First Congregational Church in Columbus, Ohio, which was to last for 28 years. His lectures and writings on social questions were prophetic messages of the time. After 50 years in the ministry, he wrote: “If the church would dare to preach and practice the things which Jesus Christ has commanded, she would soon regain her lost power.” He is the author of thirty or more volumes but is remembered best by this poem which has come into such wide use in the worship services of all the churches.

_MUSIC._ MARYTON was written for the words, “Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear,” in _Church Hymns and Tunes_, 1874; but it has become inseparably associated with Gladden’s hymn. Permission to use this hymn was granted by the author only on condition that it be used with this tune.

The composer, Henry Percy Smith, 1825-98, was a minister in the Church of England, deeply interested in church music. After graduating from Balliol College, Oxford, he served various churches as curate and vicar and finally became chaplain at Cannes and Canon of Gibraltar.

224. O Thou great Friend to all the sons of men _Theodore Parker_,
1810-60

Based on the Scriptural passages, John 15:14: “Ye are my friends if ye do the things which I command you” and John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

The author, Rev. Theodore Parker, an outstanding abolitionist and a leader in New England Unitarianism, was educated at Harvard and spent most of his ministry in Boston. While travelling abroad in the hope of restoring his health, he became ill and died at Florence, Italy, where he was buried.

_MUSIC._ FFIGYSBREN. For comments on this tune see Hymn 183.

225. Onward, Christian soldiers _S. Baring-Gould_, 1834-1924

A hymn of the Christian warfare, written by a Church of England clergyman for a children’s processional, but now having a much wider use. The author gave the following account of the writing of the hymn:

Whitmonday is a great day for school festivals in Yorkshire. One
Whitmonday, thirty years ago, it was arranged that our school should
join forces with a neighboring village. I wanted the children to sing
when marching from one village to another; so I sat up at night,
resolved that I would write something myself. “Onward, Christian
soldiers” was the result. It was written in great haste, and I am
afraid some of the rhymes are faulty. Certainly nothing has surprised
me more than its popularity.

An omitted stanza reads:

What the saints established,
That I hold for true;
What the saints believed,
That believe I too.
Long as earth endureth
Men that faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires
In destruction rolled.

For comments on the author, S. Baring-Gould, see Hymn 29.

_MUSIC._ ST. GERTRUDE was written for these words by Sir Arthur Sullivan and dedicated to Mrs. Gertrude Clay-Ker-Seymer, in whose house the composer often stayed. The hymn derived a great part of its popularity from its use with this stirring tune.

For comments on Sullivan see Hymn 113.

226. Teach me, my God and King _George Herbert_, 1593-1633
_Adapted by John Wesley_

A hymn of consecration and heavenly-mindedness that marks the Christian life. Verses 2 and 4 are by John Wesley, and the third verse was altered by him. For comments on John Wesley see Hymn 170.

George Herbert, noted English poet and minister in the Church of England, was born in Wales; educated at Cambridge; and became a great pastor and preacher, serving, during his all too brief career, churches at Layton Ecclesia in 1626, and at Bemerton from 1630 to his death in 1632. His spare moments were given to the cultivation of sacred music. His principal work is _The Temple_, a book of poems. His popularity was greatly increased through the publication of his _Life_, written by Isaak Walton.

_MUSIC._ MORNINGTON is an arrangement of a chant written about 1760 by the Earl of Mornington, whose name was Garret Wellesley (or Wesley), 1735-81. He was the father of the Duke of Wellington. The name was changed from Wesley to Wellesley about 1790. A composer of much secular and sacred music, he lived most of his life in Dublin, and was the first Professor of Music at Dublin University.

227. When thy heart with joy o’erflowing _Theodore C. Williams_

A hymn setting forth the spirit of brotherhood in terms of sharing. Information regarding the author, Rev. Theodore C. Williams, has not been traced.

_MUSIC._ BULLINGER was written in 1874 by Ethelbert William Bullinger, 1837-1913, an English clergyman who made the study of music his avocation. He is remembered principally as the composer of this tune with its last phrase somewhat awkward due to the long, tied initial note.

228. Who is thy neighbor? _William Cutter_, 1801-87

Based on the parable of the Good Samaritan. The hymn first appeared in _The Christian Mirror_, Portland, Me., 1838, in seven stanzas. One of the omitted stanzas reads:

Thy neighbor? Yonder toiling slave,
Fettered in thought and limb;
Whose hopes are all beyond the grave,
Go thou, and ransom him.

The author, William Cutter, was an editor and publisher, born at Yarmouth, Me., a graduate of Bowdoin College, and member of the Congregational Church. He was in business in Portland, Me., for several years and then in Brooklyn, N. Y. He has been described as “a deserving writer who has hitherto missed his due meed of acknowledgement.”

_MUSIC._ BURFORD, a very good tune in triple time, written in the minor mode, is of uncertain authorship, though it is credited in some books to Henry Purcell, _c._ 1658-95, one of England’s great composers and organists. It is set to Psalm 42 in _A Book of Psalmody_, 1718, by John Chetham, and appears in a large number of other 18th century psalmodies, invariably without composer’s name.

229. O brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother _John Greenleaf
Whittier_, 1807-92

A hymn of brotherly love and service, taken from a poem of 15 stanzas, entitled, “Worship,” to which was affixed the scriptural reference, James 1:27: “Pure religion and undefiled before God the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” A concern for the well being of his fellow man was to Whittier a vital part of the Christian faith, as witness his championship of the cause of the slaves.

For comments on John Greenleaf Whittier see Hymn 173.

_MUSIC._ COMFORT. The tune appears anonymously in the “Supplement” to _Hymns of the Spirit_, 1937.

230. Rise up, O men of God _William P. Merrill_, 1867—

A hymn challenging the _men_ of the church to loyal service to Christ. It is widely used in America and has found a place in English and Canadian hymnals. Concerning the origin of the hymn, Dr. Merrill says, in a letter to the writer, dated, April 18, 1947:

I was asked back in 1911 to write a hymn to be used in the
“Brotherhood Movement,” then going strong. I had come upon an article
by Gerald Stanley Lee, entitled, “The Church of the Strong Men”; and
that gave me a start. I can give no interesting details as to how I
wrote it; I just did it.

Highchurchmen have objected to the hymn, because they have said that
only God can make the church great. To that I have answered that if
anyone can show me a single instance in history where God has made the
church great without using MEN OF GOD to do it, I should be
interested. No answer has ever come. I heard that hymn sung in Europe,
in India, China, and Japan.

For comments on the author, William P. Merrill, see Hymn 183.

_MUSIC._ LEIGHTON was composed by Henry Wellington Greatorex, 1811-58, an Englishman by birth. Coming to the United States in 1839, he served as organist at Central Congregational Church, Hartford, Conn., in St. Paul’s and Calvary Churches, New York City, and finally in an Episcopal Church at Charleston, S. C. He edited the _Greatorex Collection_ of 1856 and did much to improve the standards of music used in the worship service. He composed a widely used setting for the “Gloria Patri” (606). Dr. Merrill’s hymn has been set to various tunes, the one generally used and preferred by the author being “Festal Song,” by William H. Walter.

231. Go, labor on; spend and be spent _Horatius Bonar_, 1809-89

A hymn to encourage Christian workers. It was published in _Songs for the Wilderness_, 1843, under the title, “Labour for Christ.” In _Hymns of Faith and Hope_, 1867, it was entitled, “The Useful Life.”

Regarding the origin of the hymn, Rev. H. N. Bonar, son of the author wrote:

It was probably in the year 1836 that my father first wrote a hymn not
primarily intended for the young. To encourage his faithful fellow
workers in his mission district, he wrote, to the tune of the “Old
Hundredth,” the now-familiar hymn, “Go, labour on.”

For comments on Horatius Bonar see Hymn 129.

_MUSIC._ ERNAN was written for _Cantica Laudis_, 1850, one of the books which Mason published with the assistance of Geo. J. Webb. For comments on the composer, Lowell Mason, see Hymn 12.

THE INNER LIFE

232. O have you not heard of that beautiful stream _R. Torrey, Jr._

Based on Rev. 22:1, 17: “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.”

It is reminiscent also of Ezek. 47:1-12, the vision of the healing stream of water flowing from the house of God to the Dead Sea, causing new life to flourish. “Everything shall live whither the river cometh.” (v. 9).

An omitted stanza reads:

With murmuring sound doth it wander along
Through fields of eternal green;
Where songs of the blest, in their haven of rest
Float soft on the air serene.

The poem, with the present music, appeared in Asa Hull’s, _The Casket_, published in Philadelphia, 1865, where it is credited to R. Torrey, Jr. To date, no information has come to light concerning the author. He lived a generation earlier than the well known preacher and teacher, R. A. Torrey. In 1868, the hymn was published, anonymously, in _Spiritual Harp_, Boston, a book of songs for congregational use dedicated by the authors to “the Spiritualists and Reformers of the world, love of truth and progress.” Two years later, in 1870, the words and music appeared in England, in the _Sunday School Hymnary_, published by the National Sunday School Union in London.

The German version is a free translation made by Ernst Heinrich Gebhardt, 1832-99, a Methodist minister and evangelist, known in Germany, the place of his birth, as the father of German revivalistic and holiness songs. It is superior, in poetic quality and evangelistic appeal, to the English original.

Gebhardt was born in Ludwigsburg, Württemberg, July 12, 1832. He prepared to be an apothecary but later decided to go to Chile, South America, to live with relatives. After spending five years on a farm in Chile, he returned to Germany to visit his mother. A shipwreck on the return voyage resulted in a deep spiritual awakening. Arriving in Ludwigsburg, he accompanied his mother to the Sylvester service on New Year’s night, 1859, in the Methodist Church, where he dedicated his life to Christian work. Having decided to become an evangelist, he attended the school for ministers in the Methodist Church at Bremen where his zeal and musical gifts were quickly recognized. He was appointed _Reiseprediger_ and in this capacity served in Ludwigsburg (1860-62), Heilbronn (1862-66), Pforzheim (1866-68), Bremen (1868-71), Ludwigsburg (1871-74), Zurich (1874-77), Strassburg i. E. (1877-81), Biel, Kt. Bern (1880-84), Zwickau (1884-88) and finally in Karlsruhe (1888-99). Gebhardt was married and had a family of nine children.

His activities included a trip to the United States, 1881-83, during which he travelled through 30 States. In Brighton, England, he took part in holiness meetings held there, and later travelled with R. Pearsall Smith, of Philadelphia, through Germany and Switzerland, serving as song leader in the evangelistic meetings conducted by Smith.

Gebhardt is the author of many original hymns and made over 50 translations from the English, most of them from the Moody and Sankey songs. He compiled numerous song books where his works appeared. “Ich weiss einen Strom” was published in his _Frohe Botschaft_, 1875, a popular book of gospel songs drawn mostly from English sources, both words and music. The third stanza, omitted here, reads:

Der Strom ist gar tief und sein Wasser ist klar,
Es schmecket so lieblich und fein;
Es heilet die Kranken und stärkt wunderbar,
Ja, machet die Unreinsten rein!

_MUSIC._ ICH WEISS EINEN STROM, originally entitled, “Beautiful Stream,” and written in 6/8 time, first appeared in _Casket of Sunday School Melodies_, 1865, published by the composer, Asa Hull, in Philadelphia. The tune is wedded inseparably to Torrey’s words. It is very popular among General Conference of Mennonites churches where it is usually sung in the slow tempo and dignity of a chorale. Neither the words nor the music, with its refrain, have the characteristics of a chorale. It is a useful song, especially for evangelistic services.

Asa Hull was born January 18, 1828, in Keene, N. Y. He studied harmony and composition with B. F. Baker and Geo. J. Webb in Boston, and at the age of 20 became organist and choirmaster at Watertown, Mass. He composed many church tunes. Hull, a pioneer publisher of Sunday school and gospel song books, was also known as a shrewd business man. His publications numbered 30 books and about 100 pamphlets. _Gem of Gems_, published in 1881, sold over 300,000 copies. On the fly leaf of his _Casket of Sunday School Melodies_ is found this advertisement:

Asa Hull, Philadelphia agent for the Hallett and Cumston Piano Fortes,
will keep a variety of styles and exhibits at his store, which he will
sell at lower prices for cash than any other first class instrument
can be bought in the city. 240 S. Eleventh Street, Philadelphia, Pa.

233. O holy Savior, Friend unseen _Charlotte Elliott_, 1789-1871

A hymn which is best understood by those who have had experience in suffering and sorrow. Entitled, “Clinging to Christ,” it was written in 1834, shortly after the death of the author’s father and published in the 1834 edition of her _Invalid’s Hymn Book_.

Charlotte Elliott, a member of the Church of England, was born and reared amid refined, cultured, Christian surroundings. Her grandfather, Rev. Henry Venn, was an “eminent Church of England divine of apostolic character and labors,” and the author of _The Whole Duty of Man_. Charlotte was a woman of keen intellect and was gifted in music and art. Unfortunately, she became an invalid at 32 and remained so till the end of her long life, oftentimes enduring great suffering. This may account for the note of tenderness found in all her hymns. In spite of her invalidism, she did a large amount of literary work, publishing four or five volumes of poetry. She was a modest woman, publishing all her books anonymously. A large number of her 150 hymns are still in use, the most popular being “Just as I am, without one plea” (458).

_MUSIC._ INTEGER VITAE (FLEMMING). For comments on this tune see Hymn 59.

234. Thou true Vine, that heals the nations _T.S.N._

Based on John 15:1-5: “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now are ye clean through the work which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches; He that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.”

The hymn was composed for _Songs of Praise_, 1933, London. The author is not identified except by the initials T.S.N.

_MUSIC._ PLEADING SAVIOUR, a folk-song type of tune, is from the _Plymouth Collection of Hymns and Tunes_, New York, 1855, which Henry Ward Beecher compiled for use in the Plymouth Congregational Church, Brooklyn, of which he was pastor. The musical editors were John Zundel (178) and the Rev. Charles Beecher.

235. God of my heart _Anonymous_

A hymn celebrating the believer’s life in God. It was taken from _St. Basil’s Hymnal_ compiled by the Basilian Fathers, published in 1918. The musical editors were Healey Willan and Jules Brazil. The authorship of the hymn is anonymous.

_MUSIC._ CARMEN NATURAE is an arrangement from a melody in Donizetti’s opera, _Carmen_.

Gaetano Donizetti, 1797-1848, son of an Italian weaver, studied music in Naples. He composed 66 operas, 6 masses, 12 string quartets, a requiem, songs, and other compositions.

236. Since Jesus is my Friend _Paul Gerhardt_, 1607-76
_Tr. by Catherine Winkworth_, 1829-78

A hymn of consolation and joy to give strength and courage to troubled hearts. It is based on Romans 8:31: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” The original has 15 stanzas. The lines translated here are as follows:

Hab ich das Haupt zum Freunde
Und bin geliebt bei Gott,
Was kann mir tun der Feinde
Und Widersacher Rott’?

Sein Geist spricht meinem Geiste
Manch süsses Trostwort zu,
Wie Gott dem Hülfe leiste
Der bei ihm suchet Ruh.

Mein Herze geht in Sprüngen
Und kann nicht traurig sein,
Ist voller Freud’ und Singen,
Sieht lauter Sonnenschein.

Die Sonne, die mir lachet
Ist mein Herr Jesus Christ,
Das, was mich singen machet,
Ist, was im Himmel ist.

For comments on the author, Paul Gerhardt, see Hymn 134.

The translation by Miss Winkworth appeared in her _Lyra Germanica_, first series, 1855.

Catherine Winkworth, an English poet, was the foremost translator of German chorales. She made a special study of the German hymns and hymn writers and is the author of _Lyra Germanica_, 1st. ser., 1855; 2d. ser., 1858; _The Chorale Book for England_, 1863; and _Christian Singers of Germany_, 1869. Twenty-five of her works are found in the _Hymnary_. She was a member of the Church of England.

_MUSIC._ GREENWOOD was composed for the hymn beginning, “We lift our hearts to Thee,” in a _Collection of Church Music_, 1849, by Root and Sweetser.

The composer, Joseph Emerson Sweetser, 1825-73, was an English organist and composer of vocal music. A part of his life was spent in New York City as organist at the Church of the Puritans.

237. O heart of God! _F. Stanfield_

A hymn of confidence and trust resulting from the mystical repose in the heart of God.

The words and tune are found in _St. Basil’s Hymnal_, compiled by the Basilican Fathers, and published in Chicago, 1918.

The author, Francis Stanfield, a Roman Catholic priest, was born in London, November 5, 1836, the son of Clarkson Stanfield, an artist. He was educated at St. Edmund’s College, near Ware. After ordination, he spent most of his time conducting missions and retreats, though he was stationed for brief periods in several parishes. He is the author of numerous hymns which were collected and published by the Benedictine Fathers, at Ramsgate, England. The present hymn is an adaptation, made by the editors of the _Hymnary_, of his “O Sacred Heart, our home lies deep in Thee.” The original is too Catholic for Protestant use.

No information is at hand concerning the composer of the tune.

238. Life of all that lives below _Charles Wesley_, 1707-88
_Samuel Longfellow_, 1819-92

This hymn, a prayer for a fuller life nurtured by Christ, the living Bread, is of composite authorship, but no information is at hand concerning the part which Wesley and Longfellow, respectively, had in it. It is not listed in Julian’s _Dictionary of Hymnology_.

For comments on Charles Wesley see Hymn 6.

For comments on Longfellow see Hymn 28.

_MUSIC._ PLEYEL is taken from the _Andante_ movement of the composer’s _Fourth String Quartet, Op. 7_. It appeared as a long-meter tune in _Arnold and Callcott’s Psalms_, 1791, set to Addison’s hymn, “The spacious firmament on high.”

Ignace Josef Pleyel, 1757-1831, 24th child of an Austrian schoolmaster, was a favorite pupil of Haydn and gained fame as a composer and conductor. Mozart spoke highly of his quartets. Later in life he engaged in business, publishing and selling music, and manufacturing pianos of high quality. The manufacturing house of Pleyel and Company is still well and favorably known in Europe.

239. There is a place of quiet rest _Cleland B. McAfee_, 1866-1944

The heart of the message of this popular devotional hymn, according to a statement made by the author to the present writer, is in the second stanza, “There is a place of comfort sweet, near to the heart of God.” Cleland B. McAfee was a distinguished preacher, author, and teacher in the Presbyterian Church. He was accustomed to write an original hymn for the communion service in his church. It was in 1901, during his pastorate in Chicago, that a great sorrow came into his life occasioned by the death of his nephew. The communion was to be held the following Sunday and the members of the congregation came to the church tense with speculation about the service and the kind of hymn their pastor had composed for the day. These simple words and tune were offered them and seemed to fit the occasion perfectly. Since then the hymn has been translated into many languages and gone all over the world. It was not included in the new _Presbyterian Hymnal_, 1933, because the words and music were considered to be more of the nature of a gospel song than a hymn.

Cleland M. McAfee received his education at Park College and Union Theological Seminary, New York. From 1888 to 1901, he was pastor and professor at Park College; pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Chicago, 1901-04; and of the Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, 1904-12. He later was connected with McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago, first as Professor of Systematic Theology and then as president of the institution. He is the author of several books on religious subjects, and also wrote extensively on foreign missions, a subject in which he had a keen interest.

COURAGE AND COMFORT

240. Come unto Me, ye weary _William C. Dix_, 1837-98

Based on some of the precious promises of Christ, especially Matt. 11:28: “Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest.” It may be compared with Bonar’s hymn, “I heard the voice of Jesus say” (142) on the same text.

The author gives the story of the hymn as follows:

I was ill and depressed at the time, and it was almost to idle away
the hours that I wrote the hymn. I had been ill for many weeks, and
felt weary and faint, and the hymn really expresses the languidness of
body from which I was suffering at the time. Soon after its
composition I recovered, and I always look back to that hymn as the
turning point in my illness.

For comments on the author, William Chatterdon Dix, see Hymn 78.

_MUSIC._ ICH WEISS AN WEN ICH GLAUBE is taken from the _Gesangbuch mit Noten_ (206) where it is used with a hymn by Ernst Moritz Arndt, beginning with these words.

241. When in the madd’ning maze of things _John Greenleaf Whittier_,
1807-92

Preëminently an experienced person’s meditation on trust in God. The hymn is taken from a poem of 22 stanzas entitled, “The Eternal Goodness,” written apparently without any thought of their being sung. In the first line the editors substituted the initial word “when” for the original “yet.”

For comments on John Greenleaf Whittier see Hymn 173.

_MUSIC._ ES IST EIN BORN. For comments on this tune see Hymn 99.

242. Thy way is in the deep, O Lord _James Martineau_, 1805-1900

Based on Psalm 77:19: “Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters.”

James Martineau, English Unitarian, was a man of letters, a philosopher, a theologian, and the most eloquent and distinguished preacher of his church in his time. He served churches in Liverpool and London and was Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy in Manchester New College. He edited _Hymns for the Christian Church and Home_, 1840, a book widely used among Unitarians in England.

_MUSIC._ GRÄFENBERG, sung somewhat slowly, is a tune of fine stateliness and dignity. It is from the 5th edition of Crüger’s _Praxis Pietatis Melica_, Berlin, 1653. It is also known as “_Nun Danket All_.”

Johann Crüger, 1598-1662, one of the most distinguished musicians of his time, was born near Brandenburg. He received a thorough musical training under Paulus Homberger in Regensburg and in 1622 he was appointed cantor of the St. Nicholas Lutheran Church, in Berlin, and one of the masters of the Greyfriars Gymnasium. He founded the noted choir of St. Nicholas Church. Crüger was a tune-writer of the first rank and composed some of the most famous and favorite chorales. He published various collections of hymns, among them the celebrated _Praxis Pietas Melica_, 1644, which passed through more than fifty editions. He died in Berlin, February 23, 1662.

243. Come, ye disconsolate _Thomas Moore_, 1779-1852
_Thomas Hastings_, v. 3

A hymn of consolation by an author whose life was far from exemplary. It may be the hymn should on this account have been omitted; but something in his heart enabled the author, through his lyrics, to touch the heart of humanity, and his songs have been widely used and admired in spite of the strange chapters and romantic incidents in his life.

Thomas Moore, Irish poet, was born in Dublin, studied at Trinity College, and then moved to London and began the study of law. He held a government position in Bermuda for some time and during his life published many volumes of prose and poetry. He will always be remembered by his songs, “Believe me if all those endearing young charms,” “The last rose of summer,” and “Oft in the stilly night.”

The third stanza is by Thomas Hastings, coeditor with Lowell Mason of _Spiritual Songs for Social Worship_, in which the hymn first appeared. Moore’s third stanza, omitted in all hymn books, reads:

Go ask the infidel what boon he brings us,
What charm for aching hearts he can reveal,
Sweet as that heavenly promise Hope sings us—
Earth has no sorrow that God cannot heal.

It is a good stanza, but, then, good hymns do not argue.

For comments on Thomas Hastings see Hymn 120.

_MUSIC._ CONSOLATOR, also known as “Consolation,” “Webbe,” “Alma” or “Alma Redemptor,” is an adaptation of a tune by Samuel Webbe.

For comments on Samuel Webbe see Hymn 22.

244. I look to Thee in every need _Samuel Longfellow_, 1819-92

A hymn, much-needed, to express the effect of religious faith and trust upon mental and bodily health. The idea, so essential to the Gospel, has been too largely neglected in most Protestant Churches. The hymn is representative of the fine literary and devotional quality of the author’s poetry. Though an American hymn, it was introduced into the church’s worship in England before it was used in this country.

For comments on Samuel Longfellow see Hymn 28.

_MUSIC._ O JESU appeared in _J. B. Reimanns Org. v. Hirschb. alter und neuer Melodien Evangel. Lieder_, etc., 1747, where it was set to the hymn, “_O Jesu, warum legst du mir_.” In the original, the first and last notes of each line were half-notes. It is a tune “of a simple, familiar pattern but with a certain quiet dignity.”

The composer, Johann Balthaser Reimann, 1702-47, was a German cantor and organist in churches in Neustadt, Breslau, and Hirschberg, Schleswig.

245. My God and Father, while I stray _Charlotte Elliott_, 1789-1871

A hymn written by one who had disciplined herself to accept with patience and resignation the bitter cross of ill health which was laid upon her.

She writes of her experience:

Oh, many struggles and apparently fruitless ones it has cost me to
become resigned to the appointments of my Heavenly Father. But the
struggle is now over. He knows, and he alone, what it is, day after
day, hour after hour, to fight against bodily feelings of almost
overpowering weakness, languor, and exhaustion; to resolve not to
yield to slothfulness, depression, and instability, such as the body
causes me to long to indulge, but to rise every morning determined to
take for my motto: “If any man will come after Me, let him deny
himself, take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

The hymn is based on Matt. 26:42: “O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.” It is a hymn of humble resignation. Another hymn, setting forth the will of God as demanding active co-operation, is found at No. 342. Some fine stanzas have been omitted here:

Though Thou hast called me to resign
What most I prized, it ne’er was mine;
I have but yielded what was Thine—
“Thy will be done.”

Should grief or sickness waste away
My life in premature decay,
My Father, still I strive to say,
“Thy will be done.”

Let but my fainting heart be blest
With Thy sweet Spirit for its Guest;
My God, to Thee I leave the rest—
“Thy will be done.”

For comments on Charlotte Elliott see Hymn 233.

_MUSIC._ HANFORD was written for “Jesus, my Saviour, look on me,” another of Miss Elliott’s hymns. The composer, who often stayed in the home of Mrs. Gertrude Clay-Ker-Seymer at Hanford, in Dorsetshire, wrote the tune there, hence its name.

For comments on the composer, Arthur Sullivan, see Hymn 113.

246. Give to the winds thy fears _Paul Gerhardt_, 1607-76
_Tr. by John Wesley_, 1703-91

A hymn of comfort to the afflicted and courage to the dying. It is a part of Paul Gerhardt’s poem, “_Befiehl du deine Wege_” (558). These are stanzas 9, 10, 12, 13, unaltered, of Wesley’s translation, which contains 16 four-line stanzas. Gerhardt passed through the agonies of the Thirty Years’ War, and suffered, in addition, the loss of his wife and four children. He gives expression in this hymn to his own deep feelings of trust and assurance. His words have helped many anxious souls maintain faith in God who “sitteth on the throne, and ruleth all things well.”

For comments on Paul Gerhardt see Hymn 134.

For comments on John Wesley, who translated the hymn, see No. 170.

_MUSIC._ STATE STREET is a popular tune, scarcely any hymn book missing it, but it is not wedded to any single hymn. The composer, J. C. Woodman, 1813-94, born at Newbury, Mass., became one of Lowell Mason’s assistants in introducing music into the public schools of Boston. He was one of the first soloists of the Boston Academy of Music and served for a time as organist of the First Presbyterian Church of Brooklyn. In 1858, Woodman compiled _The Musical Casket_, which contained many of his songs, sacred and secular. “State Street” is the last tune in the book, set to Watts’ lyric, “Blessed are the sons of peace.”

247. Day by day the manna fell _Josiah Conder_, 1789-1855

A hymn of confidence that God will supply daily strength for daily needs, based on Exodus 16:12-21 and the petition in the Lord’s Prayer, “Give us this day our daily bread.”

The hymn suggests a Jewish story quoted by W. F. Tillett in _The Hymns and Hymn Writers of the Church_:

The pupils of Rabbi Ben Jochai once asked him with regard to the manna
sent to the Israelite host in the wilderness: “Why did not the Lord
furnish enough manna to Israel for a year all at one time?” “I will
answer you with a parable,” responded the teacher. “Once there was a
king who had a son to whom he gave a yearly allowance, paying him the
entire sum on a fixed day. It soon happened that the day on which the
allowance was due was the only day in the year when the father ever
saw the son. So the king changed his plan and gave his son day by day
that which sufficed for the day. And now the son visited his father
every morning. Thus God dealt with Israel.”

The author, Josiah Conder, born in London, was an editor and publisher. His friends included a large number of eminent literary and church men of the early 19th century. He was a member of the Congregationalist Church. A devout and earnest believer who knew what it was to struggle for daily bread, he had the occasion to practice the gospel of daily trust. He wrote many hymns, published more than a dozen scholarly books, and edited _The Congregational Hymn Book_ in 1836, a work which attained wide popularity in England.

_MUSIC._ SEYMOUR. For comments on this tune see Hymn No. 36.

248. One thought I have, my ample creed _Frederick L. Hosmer_,
1840-1929

Several of Hosmer’s hymns express his “thought of God,” this being one of the finest. It relates all of life and its needs to the thought of God.

For comments on Frederick L. Hosmer see Hymn 72.

_MUSIC._ PRAETORIUS is from _Harmoniae Hymnorum Scholae Gorlicensis_, Görlitz, 1599. It is supposed to have been written by M. Praetorius, for it appeared in his _Musae Sionae_, Pt. VI, 1609, and hence its name.

Michael Praetorius, 1571-1621, was born in Kreuzburg, Thuringia. He was educated at the University of Frankfurt-an-der-Oder and became Kapellmeister at Lüneburg. Praetorius was a prolific composer, but his fame rests chiefly on a four-volume work on musical theory entitled, _Syntagma musicum_.

249. Father, to Thee we look in all our sorrow _Frederick L. Hosmer_,
1840-1929

A hymn of comfort written in 1881 on the death of a member of the author’s congregation. The hymn was published in Hosmer’s _Thought of God_, 1st series, 1885. The last lines are particularly striking:

“Yet shalt thou praise Him when these darkened furrows,
Where now He ploweth, wave with golden grain.”

_MUSIC._ STRENGTH AND STAY. For comments on J. B. Dykes, the composer of this tune, see Hymn 1.

250. My Jesus, as Thou wilt _Benjamin Schmolck_, 1672-1737
_Tr. Jane Borthwick_, 1813-97

Based on Mark 14:36: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto Thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt.” The hymn was originally published in eleven stanzas in his _Heilige Flammen_, 1704. We give here five stanzas of the original, our hymn being the usual selection of 1, 3, and 5.

Mein Jesu, wie du willt,
So lass mich allzeit wollen;
Wenn Trübsal, Angst und Leid
Mich hier betreffen sollen,
So gib, dass allezeit
Dein Wille werd’ erfüllt,
Ich leb’ und sterbe dir;
Mein Jesu, wie du willt!

Mein Jesu, wie du willt!
Soll ich in Armut leben,
So mach hingegen du
Die Seele reich, daneben
Gib, dass dein Wort mir nur
Den Hunger allzeit stillt,
Und nimm sonst alles hin:
Mein Jesu, wie du willt!

Mein Jesu, wie du willt!
Soll ich in Tränen schwimmen,
So lass mein Fünklein Trost
Nicht ganz und gar verglimmen.
Hast du doch selbst geweint;
Drum, wenn’s nicht anders gilt,
So wein’ ich auch mit dir.
Mein Jesu, wie du willt!

Mein Jesu, wie du willt!
Soll ich denn endlich sterben,
Ich weiss, du lässt mich auch
Im Sterben nicht verderben,
Wenn meine Seele sich
In deine Wunden hüllt;
Drum soll’s gestorben sein,
Mein Jesu, wie du willt!

Mein Jesu, wie du willt!
So bin ich auch zufrieden;
Hast du mir Lieb’ und Leid,
Not oder Tod beschieden,
So nehm’ ich’s auf dein Wort,
Dein Wille werd’ erfüllt.
Drum sag’ ich noch einmal:
Mein Jesu, wie du willt!

Schmolck was known all over Germany for his many hymns and spiritual songs. A number of them have been translated into English. This one reflects his fervent love for Christ and bears a message of trust and comfort which grew out of his own exhausting labors and physical suffering.

For further comments on Benjamin Schmolck see Hymn 505.

The translation is by Jane Borthwick in her _Hymns from the Land of Luther_, 1854. For comments on Jane Borthwick see Hymn 54.

_MUSIC._ JEWETT is from a melody in Weber’s opera _Der Freischütz_. The present arrangement was made by Joseph Holbrook, in 1862. The tune has become associated almost exclusively with this hymn in America.

Joseph Holbrook, 1822-88, born near Boston, was a tune writer of the school of Mason, Hastings, and Bradbury. He compiled several hymn books and was musical editor of _Songs of the Sanctuary_, a popular Methodist book under the editorship of the eminent hymnologist, Charles S. Robinson.

251. Father, whate’er of earthly bliss _Anne Steele_, 1716-78

Based on I Tim. 6:6-8: “But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.”

Anne Steele was the first woman writer of English hymns. Her father was a timber merchant who for 30 years was deacon and occasional preacher in the Baptist Church in Hampshire, England, and then for 30 years more he was pastor, without salary, of the same church. On the day before Miss Steele was to be married, at the age of 21, her fiance met accidental death through drowning. Out of this bitter experience in her early life and a succession of other trials, came this lyric of resignation and hope. The original has 10 stanzas, the last three of which have been edited by Augustus Toplady to make this her best hymn. Miss Steele is the foremost of Baptist hymn writers.

_MUSIC._ NAOMI, a tune brought to America by Lowell Mason, was set to this hymn in his _Modern Psalmist_, 1839. It at once gained popularity and was included in many hymn books.

For comments on the composer, Hans Nägeli, see Hymn 41.

252. Thy way, not mine, O Lord _Horatius Bonar_, 1808-89

An admirable hymn of submission, faith, and love, based on Matt. 26:39: “Not as I will, but as Thou wilt.”

It was published in 7 stanzas in the author’s _Hymns of Faith and Hope_, 1st series, 1857 under the title, “Thy way, not Mine.”

The omitted stanza (No. 6) reads:

Choose Thou for me my friends,
My sickness or my health:
Choose Thou my cares for me,
My poverty or my wealth.

For comments on Horatius Bonar see Hymn 129.

_MUSIC._ O LEIDE, LEIDE GERN is from the _Gesangbuch mit Noten_, where it appears anonymously set to the words, “_O leide, leide, gern! Es ist der Will’ des Herrn_.”

253. Lord, it belongs not to my care _Richard Baxter_, 1615-91

A hymn of love, trust, and hope, based on Phil. 1:21: “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

Richard Baxter, English Presbyterian, was born in Shropshire, England. He took holy orders in the Church of England, but withdrew from this church to become one of the outstanding Nonconformists of his time. Though he never attended university, he published over 250 volumes, among them several classics, _The Reformed Pastor_ and _The Saints’ Everlasting Rest_. A fearless man and willing to suffer for what he believed to be right, Baxter did not hesitate to rebuke Cromwell for his assumption of supreme power of the State. Once, when falsely charged of libeling the Church, Chief Justice George Jeffreys taunted him by, “Richard, I see the rogue in thy face.” Baxter replied, “I had not known before that my face was a mirror.” After an infamous trial, Baxter was condemned and thrown into prison where he remained for 18 months.

As to music in the church, he did not share the views of the large number of his fellow Puritan clergymen who disapproved of it. “I have made a psalm of praise in the holy assembly the chief delightful exercise of my religion and my life, and have helped to bear down all the objection which I have heard against church music.” He also took a stand for the use of original hymns to supplement psalm singing, and favored the use of the organ, though he did not introduce the latter where it led to disputes.

_MUSIC._ EVAN. For comments on this tune and its composer, William H. Havergal, see Hymn 153.

254. Holy Father, cheer our way _Richard H. Robinson_, 1842-92

Based on Zech. 14:7: “But it shall come to pass, at evening time it shall be light.” The hymn was written in 1869 for the author’s congregation, to be sung at evening prayer. It appeared in _Church Hymns_, 1871, published by the Society for Propagating Christian Knowledge, London.

Richard Hayes Robinson, a clergyman of the Church of England, was born in London. He was educated at King’s College, London, and served as minister in various churches. On the day of his second wedding, he was taken ill on the train and died the next day. He published several volumes of sermons.

_MUSIC._ MÜDE BIN ICH, GEH ZUR RUH is a well-known German melody in the _Gesangbuch mit Noten_, where it appears anonymously, set to Louise Hensel’s hymn from which the tune derives its name. The melody, in slightly different form, appeared in 1842 in _Lieder-Buch für Kleinkinder-Schulen ... con Theodor Fliedner_. It is used in the _Methodist Hymnal_ (1935) set to the words, “Jesus, tender Shepherd, hear.”